The Hunter's Wife
by GoldStarGrl
Summary: Dean has considered himself faithful to one woman in his life: His car. But when a spell gone wrong turns the Impala into exactly that, he's not prepared in the slightest. Inspired by "The Doctor's Wife."
1. Break Down

It all happened so fast.  
The interstate from Minnesota into Wisconsin was reasonably empty at four in the morning. Only a few transport trucks kept the Impala company on the straight, dark road.  
Sam was sleeping, his head smushed up against the passenger side window. Dean squinted into the darkness, rolling down the window, the cold air rushing in his latest attempt to stay awake.  
But as he reached to crank the window open, he heard a horrible, crunching sound coming from inside the hood. He nervously patted the dash board.  
"It's OK baby, we'll stop soon."  
He was answered with even more severe sounding clunking and grinding. He glanced at Sam, then whacked him in the shoulder. Sam jerked awake and yanked out his gun. After seeing there was no danger, he glared across the gear shift at his brother.  
"What?" He said testily. Dean nodded towards the good of the car.  
"I think there's something wrong with Baby."  
Sam looked at him in bleary disbelief.  
"Maybe you need to replace the engine belt."  
Dean shot him a death stare.  
"Sammy, don't be an idiot, I replaced it a month and a half ago."  
"I don't know what you want me to tell you-" Sam was suddenly cut off but a shrieking noise from inside the hood. Dean made to pull over to the side of the road, fear evident in his eyes, when a blinding white light came flooding out of nowhere and everywhere, blinding both the Winchesters.

It only blazed for a second, but when it faded, Sam and Dean stumbled and fell onto something hard.  
"Wha...what happened?" Dean slurred, wiping the blood from a cut on his lip. "Where are we?"  
"Um, on the ground." Sam said slowly, easing himself to his knees. "We're on the pavement."  
Dean stood up shakily, then helped up his brother. Both of them had some scrapes and bruises, but were otherwise alright.  
"Did we crash? Where the hell is my car?" Dean looked around wildly, then froze.  
"Oh...hey."  
Sam whipped around. Standing a few feet behind his brother was a woman.  
She was short and compact, with chocolate skin and eyes and hair the color of the night. She was wearing a leather jacket, combat boots and silver dog tags around her neck. She was looking at Dean, smiling.  
"Hi Dean." Her voice was slight and feminine, but a little gruff.  
Dean immediately pulled his gun and pointed it at her and Sam followed suit.  
"How do you know my name? And what did you do to my car?"  
The woman's eyes widened in shock she took a step back.  
"Dean?" She said softly. "You can hear me?"  
"Of course I can hear you, now answer the damn question!" Dean roared. The woman just stared at them, stunned.  
"You've never answered me before." She said, shaking her head. "Why, why would you-" A piece of her hair flew in her face. She brushed it aside, then gasped in surprise at the hand that did it.  
"Oh my..." She ran her other hand over her face. "What..." She yanked her hair in front of her eyes, patted her shoulders and hips and feet, hands running up and down her body.  
"Son of a bitch." She breathed. Sam brandished his gun forward once more.  
"Enough games, tell us who you are."  
The girl looked up.  
"Guys...it's me." She said softly.  
Dean and Sam exchanged confused looks.  
"You'll have to be more specific." Sam said.  
"Yeah, who are you?" Dean repeated, getting more agitated by the second.  
The girl looked down at her chest, then held the dog tags forward.  
"This is who I am." She said. Dean frowned.  
"C'mon sweetheart, don't be cute, just tell us your name."  
"I am telling you." She said impatiently. "Dean, look."  
Dean, without lowering his gun, cautiously took a few steps forward. Sam walked behind the girl, his gun still pointed at her head.  
Dean stopped a few feet away and squinted down at the tags the girl was holding out. There were only two, silver rectangles strung on a metal chain.  
One said KAZ.  
The other said 2Y5.  
Dean took a step back.  
"Son of a bitch."  
"Dean? Dean, what is it?"  
"She's...She's my baby." Dean said, seeming to have trouble swallowing. "She's the Impala."


	2. KAZ

"_What_?"

"How many time I gotta explain this Bobby? She's a woman..."

_"Yeah..."_

"...and she's the Impala."

_"..."_

"Bobby?"

_"Did you wish really, really hard?"_

Sam, his ear pressed against the other side of the phone, couldn't help but laugh. Dean shot him a death glare.

"Shut up, it's not like that."

_"Well, give 'er the phone, lemme talk talk to her."_

"Hello." Her voice wasn't gruff, Dean realized. It was a _purr_. She sounded like an _engine_.

"I'm...Baby."

Sam dissolved into giggles. Dean whacked him upside the head.

"Still shut up."

They had, for obvious reason, been forced to walk down the rest of the highway until they hit a dinky truck stop three miles south. The first light of dawn crept over the horizon as they called Bobby from the pay phone.

The woman didn't seem to talk much, just made little noises of agreement as Bobby spoke, occasionally a "yes" or "sure". After about a minute, she handed the phone to Dean.

He hesitantly pinched the top and lifted it away, afraid to touch her. He turned away as he held the phone between his shoulder and ear.

"What's the story Bobby? What is she, what happened?"

There was a long sigh on the other end of the phone.

"_Well, she is your car."_

Dean flinched involuntarily. "Jeez, stop saying that. That's crazy, even for us."

"_Well she is, idjit. An' I don't mean to spoil your Christmas, but this don't look like some sort of miracle."_

"Is it a spell?"

"_Sort of. Have_ _you ever heard of a manifestation-"_

The rest of Bobby's sentence was cut off by a loud dial tone. Dean cursed.

"Sammy, I need another quarter, hurry."

"I don't have anything." Sam said, turning out his empty pockets.

Dean slammed his fist against the phone's metal container.

"Awesome. What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Sam paused. "Well, there is someone else you can call." He pointed upwards to the sky.

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He tilted his head up and raised his arms.

"Oh Castiel, we've got a bit of a situation. Get down here. Please."  
There was a pause. The boys looked around to see if Cas had appeared, but nothing happened.

"Great." Dean said sullenly.

"He'll come, just give it a minute." Sam said. "While we wait, why don't we, um, acquaint ourselves with..." He trailed off and looked at the woman.

"Baby." She supplied, winking at Sam and started slinking towards him.

"I am fifty shades of not OK with this." Dean muttered, turning away for a second to collect himself.

"Um yeah, I'm...not going to call you that." Sam said gently, distancing himself from her. The woman rolled her eyes and pouted.

"I need a name, you know."  
Sam looked at her for a minute, the dog tags around her neck catching his eye.  
"What about Kaz?" He asked. The woman frowned and Dean turned around.

"So now we're throwing out random syllables?"

Sam cleared his throat, impatient. "No. It's the first three letters on the Impala's original license plate." He picked up the dog tag and held it up for all to see.

"Remember?"

Dean paused thoughtfully. "Oh. Right."

Sam sighed and let go of the chain, stepping forward. "Dean, you gotta keep it together."

"How the HELL do you expect me to do that?" Dean snapped through gritted teeth. "That's my _car_. And now she-it's...talking and flirting." He leaned in so only Sam could hear him.

"Why is it acting like _me_?"

Sam shrugged, speaking in a harsh whisper. "Maybe it picked up some mannerisms, over the years. The point is you have to calm dow-"

"Kaz." Both Winchesters jumped in surprise as the woman slowly said the word, dragging it out. Then she smiled.

"I like it."

Dean just kept staring at her, disbelieving. Her dark hair was piled up at the top of her head. A piece of green plastic seemed to be wedged in the twist. Dean leaned forward, squinting at it.

"What is that? That green thing."

Kaz's hand went to her head, tugging at it for a moment before giving up and letting her hand fall to her side.

"It's an army man, it's been stuck in there forever." She said.

Sam's mouth dropped open. He cast a nervous back at his brother, who now looked slightly green. He shot Dean a warning look, then quickly forced a smile and walked over to stand next to her.

"Alright, Kaz. What you said earlier, how we 'usually' don't answer you. You've been, what, talking to us before?"

"For a long time." Kaz said. "You don't hear me."

Sam wiped his hands on his jeans. This was way beyond his comfort level.  
"T-Tell us what happened." He stuttered. "From your point of view. How can you possibly...be our car?"

Kaz shoved her hands in the front pockets of her jeans and shrugged.  
"Beats me. I'm just-"

"A soul forced into a manifestation of a human."

Dean winced as Cas came up right behind him, quite literally breathing down his neck. Kaz, however, broke into a beaming smile.

"Castiel!"

"Hello, Impala." He said, nodding in her direction. Kaz rushed up to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh _baby_ it's good to really talk to you!"

Cas, who looked incredibly uncomfortable, patted her several times on the back.

"Y-yes. Indeed."

Kaz peeled herself off Cas and turned to look at Sam. "Castiel was the only one who could sense I was there."

Dean's eyes narrowed. "Cas? You _knew_ about this Herbie Fully Loaded black magic crap?"

Cas sighed. "Perhaps we could discuss this somewhere more private."

Without waiting for a second opinion, Cas held up his hands and the four of them vanished.


	3. Transmission Problems

The Winchesters and Kaz found themselves suddenly in a dingy motel room.

Kaz stumbled and held onto Dean's shoulder to stabilize herself.

"Whew! That was a ride!" She grinned. Dean, trying to hurriedly detach himself from her, took a step forward towards Cas. He stood across from the room, looking at the three expectantly.

"This is where you were headed, correct? The spirit of the cheese-maker buried alive in Wisconsin?" he asked.

"Forget the cheese-maker, we've got bigger issues." Dean said, sitting on the end of one of the beds. "You and Bobby both said-" He made a vague gesture towards Kaz "-was the same thing, a manifestation or whatever. What are you talking about?"

"Sometimes," Cas began, sitting next to Dean as Kaz and Sam mirrored them on the other bed, "When something inanimate is greatly loved -treasured, taken care of before ones own self- it can develop a soul. It becomes alive."

"But why would that happen in the middle of the night in Minnesota?" Sam asked. Kaz nodded in agreement.

"I didn't feel any different. We were just on the road, and there was this flash of bright light and all the sudden I was, like, this." She gestured to her leather jacket and wild hair.

"What did we do that was so special that Kaz came alive then?" Sam continued.

"She didn't." Cas said. "She's been with us since Dean was four years old."

There was a brief pause.

"WHAT?" Dean shouted, causing everyone else to jump. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ' SHE'S BEEN ALIVE SINCE DEAN WAS FOUR YEARS OLD'?"

Cas looked at him, slightly confused.

"I didn't say _alive_, I said _with us._ A soul that felt, existed."

"WHATEVER. WHAT ABOUT THE FOUR-YEARS-OLD PART?"

Castiel's face took on the familiar furrow of someone who was just exhausted trying to keep up with Dean Winchester.

"I assumed it was obvious. I meant that, in 1983-"

"Enough!" Dean growled. Cas threw his hands up in defeat. Sam frowned.

"Dean, you need to calm down-"

"My bab-my _car_ has been conscious and thinking and _listening_ to us for the last twenty-nine years. And now she's a person. It's kind of a lot to take in, OK?"

He turned away from the rest of the group.

Kaz bit her lip, then stood on her tip-toes and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Dean, I-"

"Get OFF of me! You give me the friggin' creeps." Dean jerked away from her, grabbed his jacket, and stormed outside, slamming the door of the motel close behind him.

Kaz stood stunned, watching after him for a moment. Then she sank onto the bed, her face buried in her hands.

"The Impala had a soul. And I could sense it." Cas continued as though there had been no interruption. "I blessed it whenever we entered the vehicle. It came to know me."

Sam gave him a look and he faltered. Sam leaned over the edge of the mattress so his face was next to Kaz's.

"Hey, hey, it's OK. He's just a little confused. Give him some time." Sam said, smoothing loose pieces of hair out of her face. She lifted her face out of her hands and opened her eyes just a crack, letting out a heavy sigh.

"He hates me."

"No no, he doesn't hate you-" Sam started.

"He just finds you freakish, and unnatural." Cas said in what he apparently thought was a soothing voice.

Kaz gasped and her eyes brimmed with tears. Sam shot Cas a death glare.

"Go make yourself useful. Find Dean, calm him down, and bring his ass back here."

Cas bristled. "I don't take orders from-"

"Sorry, would you rather stay with Kaz?" Sam said loudly. Cas disappeared.

Sam turned back to Kaz. She'd opened her eyes a little more, and her face was set in a determined, forced calm.

"I'm fine." She said somewhat aggressively. "I'm fine."

"You're sure?" Sam said dubiously. She smiled ruefully and gently punched him in the arm.

"Shut up, I'm good Samni." She paused. "No, that's not right. Sammmmy?"

"Yeah." said Sam, smirking a little. Kaz stuck out her tongue out and waved it this way and that.

"This takes gettin' used to."

Sam laughed, then looked at her seriously.

"But really, are you...OK?"

Kaz pulled her tongue back in her mouth and crossed her arms.

"This all happened so fast. I just...wanted him to like me. The way he usually does." She blushed and looked at her boots. "Never mind, it's stupid.

"No it's not." Sam said earnestly. "He still does. I told you, he's been going through some stuff, he just needs a little time."

Kaz shook her head and scoffed.

"A man could outlive God and still not have enough seconds to defeat his monsters."

Sam's eyebrows crinkled.

"Wow. That was...deep."

Kaz shrugged.

"You used to leave your Philosophy textbooks under the backseat in high school."

* * *

"Dean! DEAN!"

"Get lost, Cas." Dean said, storming down the street without so much as a glance backwards.

With a soft rustle, Cas appeared in front of him instead.

"Son of a-" Cas grabbed him and shoved him against the wall of a mini-mart.

"Control yourself and come back to the room."

"Christ, we're not doing this again." Dean said, pushing Cas off of him.

"Do not take the Lord's name in vain." Cas said sharply.

"Oh come on-"

Cas pushed his forearm against Dean's neck, pinning him back against the wall.

"You're behaving like a juvenile." Cas said.

"Why do you care?" Dean choked. "Just fix her-IT."

Cas glared at him intensely for a moment, then removed his grip and let Dean fall to the ground.

"That is not advisable."

"Why." Dean asked flatly. Cas sighed and crouched down so they were at eye level.

"Back at the motel, you didn't let me finish. The Impala has had a soul for many years. That is not unheard of. But why she manifested into a human form, now..." He paused. "...that's troubling."

"Yeah we're on the same page there, buddy." Dean groaned, rubbing his neck where Cas' iron grip had choked him.

"I believe someone is trying to use the Impala's soul for something." Cas continued. "Something bad."

"You gotta be a little more specific." Dean said. Cas glared at him.

"If I could, I would. Whoever did this has plans to use her as a powerful tool. Wether it is for or against you remains to be seen." He stuck his hands into his coat pockets. "All I know is that tampering with a soul is a dangerous thing. Any more attempts to transfigure the Impala would surely cause a catastrophic backlash."

Dean's eyes narrowed at he dusted himself off, "So what, you can't put Baby back together again?"

Cas hesitated. "Not yet."

"Dammit Cas!"

"We don't know what she's here for!" Cas burst out, then took a step back and collected himself. "I will try and find out. In the mean time, "stow your crap", keep a close watch on her, and call me if anything strange happens."

"Oh, you mean stranger than my car turning into a freakin' CHICK?" Dean yelled.

But Cas had already vanished.

Dean swallowed and looked uneasily up at the sky.

"What am I supposed to drive?"


	4. Car Alarms

"This is humiliating." Dean grumbled for the fifth time in half an hour.

Sam tore his earbuds out of his ears and glared at his brother.

"So help me God if you give me crap about this one more time-"

"Man isn't meant to travel like this, Sammy."

Sam closed his eyes and counted to ten.

"It's a bus, Dean. Not a tricycle." He hissed.

* * *

Dean had stomped back to the hotel very early that morning and told Kaz and Sam that they were leaving for Bobby's right then.

"Why?"

"Cas says we gotta keep an eye on you. I figure we bring you to Bobby's, then Sam and I look for the bastard who did this ourselves."

"What? You're gonna leave me in South Dakota with all those tramps Bobby keeps around?" Kaz said indignantly.

The boys exchanged a confused look.

_Tramps_? Dean mouthed. A light went off in Sam's head. He burst out laughing.

"What?" Kaz said defensively.

"What?" Dean said, confused.

"She-means-the-junkers-on-his-lawn." Sam choked out between peals of laughter. "The rusty old cars...are tramps."

Kaz was still clearly confused, but looked pleased with herself for making Sam laugh. Dean, in spite of himself, felt the corners of his mouth turning up. His baby knew she was a princess.

"Kaz, you're human now, you get to stay in the house." He said, somewhat amicably.

Kaz thought about this for a minute, then smiled and shook her head.

"Nah, I don't think that's gonna roll with me, sweetheart."

"Pffhhst. _Roll_." Sam continued to giggle.

Dean shot him a look that sobered him up fast. He turned back to Kaz.

"Oh?" Dean said, the coldness returning to his face.

"I'm coming with you! I want to find out what the hell happened."

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was having a flashback to when he had to explain to a five year old Sam why you couldn't throw salt rounds at squirrels.

"Look, no offense darling, but you're still getting your sea legs."

"What, you think I'm going to slow you down?" Kaz got up in Dean's face.

"I know you are." Dean said, taking a step closer.

"OK, let's all just calm down." Sam said, gently pushing on Dean and Kaz's chests to separate them.

Kaz turned to Sam with pleading eyes.

"Sammy, I want to help. Just because I have a different body doesn't mean I don't know how to do my job."

"Your job?" Sam said, confused.

Kaz reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a pistol.

"Whoa!" He yelled as he and Dean hit the dirt. But Kaz wasn't aiming the gun, she was holding it out to Sam.

"Remember all those pretty toys you've dragging around for a couple decades?" She reached into her other pocket, and pulled out a handful of something white. Rock salt.

"Didn't you wonder where they went?"

"Holy crap." Sam said slowly. "All our stuff, the guns, the knives, the matches..."

"All still here in one sexy little package." Kaz tapped Sam lightly on the nose as she spoke. "I'm like the friggin' backpack from Dora the Explora."

Sam turned to his brother.

"Dude, we have to bring her."

Dean look pained as he looked from Kaz's pockets to her face.

"Fine." He grumbled.

"Good." Sam said. "I'm going to go find us a ride."

As soon as his back was to them, Kaz turned and blew the salt in her hand into Dean's face.

He shouted and clutched his eyes.

"What the hell?"

"That's for saying I'd slow you down."

* * *

"How'd you get the money for these tickets anyway?" Dean asked, shifting around.

He and Sam were both too large to fit in the narrow bus seats comfortably. Sam had the asle seat and stretched his legs out, and Kaz had pulled her knees to her chest and folded herself into a little box next to the window, with Dean stuck in the middle.

"I, um...flirted with the woman at the desk." Sam said uncomfortably. "She may or may not be waiting to go out to dinner this time next week. Before I ship out."

"Seriously?"

Sam cleared his throat and stuffed his earbuds back in.

"I used to have morals." He sighed.

Dean smirked. "So what's the plan, as soon as we get to our little bit of highway we demand that the bus driver stops?"

"No," said Sam patiently. "We get off at the nearest stop and walk back." He glanced past his brother.

"Anything looking familiar Kaz?"

"This thing makes me crazy uncomfortable." She burst out, her faced screwed up and her chin resting on her kneecaps.

The three people across the asle peeked over at her curiously. Dean gave them an awkward smile and turned his back to them, blocking Kaz from view.

"How? It's _driving_. It's what you're _for_."

"I'm not the one dri-ving, I don-t like not being in con-trol." Kaz choked out as they hit a bumpy part of the road. "It's like someone el-se moving your le-gs."

Dean rolled his eyes and lowered his voice.

"Well stop with the _Girl, Interrupted_ pose. You're drawing attention to yourself."

"Darlin', I'm always drawing attention." She winked.

"I'm serious."

Kaz reluctantly unfolded her legs and sat up straight.

"I still don't know why Castiel couldn't have zapped us there." She pouted.

Sam sighed and stood suddenly, banging his head on the low metal roof of the bus.

"If I'm stuck between the two of you any longer, you're both going to die, because I am going to shoot you." He said matter-of-factly.

"Sam, come on!" Dean called as Sam extracted himself from the row and walked into the asle. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to call Helga." Sam said. "And tell her my platoon is being deployed earlier than expected."

He took out his cell phone and stalked to the front of the bus.

"I don't know wether to be proud-" Dean started.

"Or disgusted." Kaz finished.

Dean started to laugh, but then caught himself and pressed his lips together.

"So answer me. Why couldn't Castiel send us there instead of sticking us on this metal death trap?"

Dean shrugged and crossed his arms.

"One second he's all helpful the next he's poofing off to the freaking Himalayas. It's just-"

"Cas." Kaz said.

"Cas." Dean agreed. Kaz paused.

"It's amazing what love will do to someone." She commented. Dean looked over, confused.

"What?"

"Oh, you know, how he's had the hots for you for a long time."

Dean fell off his seat.

"W-what?" He sputtered. Kaz looked at him, mildly confused.

"The hots. The fever. The itch you can't scratch, the bow-Chica-wow-wo-"

Dean slapped his hand over her mouth.

"Do I really talk like that?"

Kaz nodded gravely.

Dean pulled his hand away and sat back up, uneasily running his hand through his hair.

"Cas?" He asked weakly. Kaz smirked.

"Don't act like this is such a shock, baby. I can remember a certain late night tryst in the passengers seat."

"Shut up!" Dean said sharply.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but he couldn't keep the blurry, scotch-soaked memories of a kiss, long and fumbling with hands tangled up in that stupid trench coat, from flooding his mind.

He groaned and hid his face in his hands.

"Dean?" Kaz asked, concerned.

"I...it's complicated." Dean mumbled into his palms.

"And you don't have time for complicated." Kaz guessed. Dean pointed at her without looking up.

"Bingo."

Kaz paused. "He wants to talk to you about it. I could sense it, the last few times you drove together."

"Yeah, well too bad." Dean said sharply. "I've got more important things to worry about."

Kaz looked like she wanted to argue, but Sam came back up the asle then, and she shut her mouth.

"Sammy!" Dean said a little too brightly. "Where are we?"

"Uh, just crossing over into Minnesota." Sam said craning his head to look out the window. "Are we going to pass through that little town again?"

"The one we hit right before Kaz changed? Yeah, real soon." Dean replied. "Like two minutes."

"Wait, I think I know how get us dropped closer to our spot." Kaz said. Both brothers turned to her.

"Yeah?" Sam said.

Kaz stood, hanging into the seat in front of her to steady herself.

"Oh my God!" She shouted, causing several people to turn and the Winchesters to jump.

She pointed to a large, burly looking man in the second row.

"He has a gun!"

The bus slammed to a halt and several other passengers jumped on the man.  
Sam and Dean both whipped around and gave Kaz a look of mixed horror and confusion.

Kaz had pulled down the window and pushed it out. She slid through the emergency exit effortlessly and landed with a slight _thunk_ on the ground below.

"Oh my God." Sam said softly, unable to keep himself from sounding slightly impressed. "She's ridiculous."

"Yeah, un-freaking-believable." Dean grumbled, less at awe.

"Well, let's go." Sam shoved his legs through the little opening with some difficulty.

"Wait, you want to _encourage_ that little stunt?" Dean said, his voice rising.

Sam shrugged and cast a worried look over at the commotion, which seemed to be clearing.

"It wasn't the best idea but, when life hands you lemons..." He slid out the window too.

"You kill the lemon for being reckless. Then you kick the brother's ass for siding with the lemon. Then-"

Dean dropped to the ground.

Sam and Kaz had run into the corn field they were passing. Sam pointed at a few low buildings not far away.

"I think that's the town. Should we head over?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "We'll find a room, workout a plan for watching our magic highway."

"OK..." Sam cast a look back at the bus. "We should probably run."

A few faces were peeking out the bus window.

"Yeah." Dean agreed. He ducked his head, but grabbed Kaz's wrist as she started after Sam.

"Do not try something like that again or I will make you wish you'd never been manufactured." He growled.

Kaz laughed and smacked Dean's ass.

"I'd like to see you try."

She turned away grinning, and, just for a second, her deep brown eyes caught the setting sunlight, flashing gold.

Flashing yellow.


	5. Misfiring Spark Plugs

"What kind of motel only has eight rooms?" Dean asked through clenched teeth.

"Well, Nancroft only has two hundred residents, and we didn't expect everyone from y'all's bus to need a place to lie tonight." The woman at the desk, a blonde with a clipped, Minnesota accent, answered him quite cheerfully.

Apparently leaving the bus and blindly groping through the cornfield had, while safer, been the slower route. Every room in the hotel was already booked while the Nancroft police force of two checked the bus and the "suspect" out.

"Well, is there anywhere else to stay in town? A B&B or something?" Sam asked, a great dealer calmer than Dean. The blonde paused thoughtfully.

"Y'all could borrow an RV from Jerry." She said.

Dean looked faintly ill.

"You got a car rental place around here, sweet thing?" Kaz asked, noticing Dean's expression.

* * *

"Well? This isn't so bad." Sam said, carefully folding his coat and putting it in the back seat of the red, rusty old Buick they'd borrowed from the town.

"I feel dirty." Kaz said, perched on the hood of the car.

They had parked in a little space of dirt, in between where the pavement ended and the corn stalks of the nearby fields began, the hood facing towards the empty road.

"Gimme." Dean said, not listening to either of them. Kaz reached into her pocket and pulled out another weapon, a small sharp knife, which Dean tossed onto the passenger's seat, adding to the growing pile.

"I need to see if there's anything we could use here, to summon-"

"Summon what?" Kaz asked. "All we've got to work off here is a stretch of road."

"Well, whatever did this might have left something behind." Sam said, slamming the door and walking to the front of the car. "Sort of a calling card."

"If we find that-"

"-You can use it to summon whatever did this." Kaz guessed.

"And we'll find out how to get you back to normal." Dean said.

Kaz paused for a second.

"Yeah." Her head dropped, her face darkening. Her _eyes_ darkening.

However, it was gone so quickly Dean figured he must have imagined it.

"Well, let's get this show...on the _road_!" She laughed. Both boys stared at her blankly.

She stopped, crossed her arms and glared at them.

"Shut up, that was hilairous."

Sam took off his shoes and used one to mark each end of the stretch of highway they were looking at, and the three canvassed the area a thousand times over. There was nothing to be seen with the naked eye, so Dean doused half the plot in holy water and Sam sprinkled half with goofer dust to see if it made anything show up. Then they switched.

They still couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Meanwhile the sun went farther and farther down in the sky.

"This is boring." Kaz whined. "Does it usually take this long?"

"You should know." Dean yelled over his shoulder.

"You two get out, take the keys, and I go to sleep. I don't know what you do." She paused. "Also, I'm freaking starving."

Dean looked like he wanted to argue, but Sam could tell he was hungry too.

"How about we take a break?"

Kaz jumped back onto the hood and sat cross-legged. The boys walked over and leaned against either side of the car.

"We could go back into town, get dinner?" Sam suggested.

"I don't think we should all go, might draw attention." Dean said, annoyed. "We wouldn't have to lay so low if _someone_ didn't cause a bomb threat-"

"I'll go, see if I can find some burgers." Sam said loudly. He wiped his hands on his jeans, and leaned in to Dean as we walked by.

"_Behave_." he whispered in his ear.

Dean gave his brother his best Please-Don't-Leave-Me look, but Sam headed back towards town anyway.

Kaz watched him go, then cleared her throat and patted the seat next to her.

Dean looked over and reluctantly sat down, making sure their thighs didn't touch.

"So." She said.

"So." He agreed.

He stared down at his hands for a few seconds.

"How are you?" He said grudgingly.

"Phssst, twenty-nine years and he finally asks." Kaz snorted.

"Jeez, forget it." Dean snapped. He jumped off the hood and crouched down in front of it.

"What are you doing?" Kaz asked.

"The bumper was dragging, it's driving me crazy." Dean mumbled.

"Make sure that the latch on the back connects, not just the two sides." Kaz said from above him. Dean ignored her and shoved the bumper back into place. It made an unpleasant creaking noise.

"You're like a six year old trying to build a rocketship in his bedroom." She muttered.

"You know, I _have_ rebuilt cars before." He gave her a pointed look. "I know what I'm doing."

"And you never read the instructions." Kaz continued as though she hadn't heard him. Dean stood up and glared at her.

"I don't need instructions."

"Yeah?" She crossed her arms.

"Yeah!"

"What did John tell you, every single winter when he put the heat on?"

Dean sighed. "Get the Legos out of the radiator."

"And did you?"

"Kaz-"

She got off the car and ran around it thrice very quickly. Her face got red and she stopped, panting. Very faintly, Dean could her a rattling sound coming from her chest.

"W-well," He started, groping for a retort. "If we're talking about instructions, you've never exactly taken us where we wanted to go!"

Kaz chuckled and shook her head.

"Nah." She said. "But I always took you where you needed to go."

Dean faltered and took a step back.

He was silent for a moment. Then he smirked and shook his head.

"Yeah." He mumbled. "I guess you did."

He sat down on the hood of the car and Kaz tentatively joined him. She stood, balancing on the newly attached bumper, and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a sixer of beer.

"Holy shit." Dean's eyes widened, but his voice wasn't as angry as it had been. Kaz smirked and sat back down with a dull clunk.

She took one, gave one to Dean, and set the rest on the ground. They drank in silence for awhile. Then Dean, not taking his gaze off the cornfields across the street, wiped his mouth and said,

"This'd be crazy, wouldn't it? If we could shoot the breeze, talk like this all the time?"

Kaz frowned, confused.

"I'm not built like that, darlin'. I drive. You talk and hunt and have sex with angels in the back seat."

Dean made a face and punched Kaz in the shoulder. She held up her hands in surrender.

Sam came back not long after that, and the three of them sat in the car and ate. Kaz and Dean made fun of Sam's salad, Kaz told embarrassing stories about Dean's many sexual encounters inside the Impala for Sam's amusement. She left out the one about Cas, though.

"Alright, it doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere today." Dean yawned as he crumbled up all the fast food wrappers and the stars began blinking into the sky. "Should we turn in?"

"Yeah, I guess." Sam said, his eyes sweeping the highway one more time before turning to get in the car.

Kaz didn't move though, staring up at the sky with a stunned expression on her face. Dean looked at her, hesitant.

"I'll be right in." He told Sam. Sam rolled his eyes and lay down in the backseat of the car, pulling the door shut behind him.

Dean doubled back and leaned against the side of the front door, looking up at the sky with her.

"Pretty out here, in the middle." He remarked. "Stars are clearer than on the coasts."

"This was always my favorite bit." Kaz said. "When you and Sammy'd go and watch the sky. It's so big and beautiful through these eyes."

They stared at the glittering moon and comets racing above them.

"Do you ever wonder why I chose you, all those years back?" Kaz said softly. She turned and moved to the edge of the hood, her legs hanging off the edge, face-to-face with Dean.

He frowned, thinking she'd messed up her pronouns again.

"No, I chose you. I mean, it was that or a _Volkswagen_. You were there and you were...beautiful." He faded off and looked away on the last word, embarrassed.

"Of course I was there." Kaz smiled. "I wanted adventures. I wanted to help people." She put her hands against Dean's chest. "So I found a hunter and drove away."

She leaned in so their foreheads pressed together, but Dean still turned away, looking like he was fighting with himself.

"You freakin' terrify me." Dean whispered. "You knew about the thing with Cas and about Sammy and mine's lives, you know everything."

Despite his words, he started pulling up the hem of her shirt. On her hip were two scraggly tattoos; _D.W_, _S.W._

"Also, you're like, fifteen years older than me." Dean said, his eyes darting back and forth. His mouth felt very dry.

"My soul, my consciousness is only twenty-nine." She said. "I'm the same age as Sam."

"Can we please, not talk about my brother right now?" Dean could feel his heart hammering against her hand. Kaz waggled her eyes brows as she moved her hands up to his neck.

"Well?" He breathed, tilting his head down towards Kaz. "'Choosing us'? choosing...me?" His voice cracked. "Was it worth it?"

Her breath was hot on his face.

"I think you know the answer to that one, sweetheart."

And then the space closed between them, and all was a fit of soft lips pressed together, fists tangled in hair, eyes fluttering open and closed.

Dean pressed Kaz's back against the side of the car as she slid down, as they both sank onto the ground, the road, the only place they'd ever felt truly safe, together.


	6. Check Engine

This had not been one of Dean's better ideas.

Sex on a dark desert highway seemed hot and everything, but it was not worth the soreness of his back and the gravel in his hair as he woke the next morning.

He winced as he turned over, his arm still wrapped around Kaz's waist.

"Hey." He mumbled, blinking dust out of his eyes.

"Morning sweetie." Something was wrong with Kaz's voice. It was higher and thinner than it should be. Dean looked up at her in confusion.

Her eyes were black.

"Ah!" He screamed, jumping up and taking out his gun.

"Oh, don't worry darling." She drawled. "I'm only passing through."

And before Dean could shoot or even consider if he wanted to, Kaz threw her head back and screamed, a great billowing cloud of black smoke flying out of her. When the last of it vanished, she collapsed onto the pavement.

"SAM!" Dean screamed.

* * *

"Shut up."

"_Dude_."

"I said shut up."

"You had _sex_...with your _car_."

"I don't wanna talk about this Sammy."

"Don't want to-too bad!"

"What happened to her?" Dean asked fearfully, looking over at Kaz.

She was still unconscious, and Sam had tied her up in the passenger seat of the rental car. The brothers were sitting on the hood, staring at her through the windshield.

"I don't know." Sam said softly. "Dean...did you do something..._weird_ last night?"

Dean glared at him.

"No, Sam, evil was not brought down on us by my penis." He said sarcastically.

Sam made a face and held up his hands in surrender.

"Mmhph...auhh..."

The boys jumped off the hood and opened the door. They took out their guns, and pointed them at Kaz as her eyes opened, then narrowed.

"What's going on?" Her voice sounded hoarse.

"Good, you're up." Dean said, fuax-cheerfully. With his free hand he unscrewed a bottle of holy water and threw it in Kaz's face.

She sputtered and shot him a shocked look.

"Dean!"

"Real nice trick, pretending you were my baby." He tried to smile sarcastically, but there were traces of hurt under it. "Now what are you and who sent you?"

Kaz looked incredibly confused and started struggling against the ropes.

"What? What are you talking about-ACK!"

Sam had reached into the front seat and tossed the newly exhumed salt on her.

"We need some Borax, she could be a Leviathan." Dean yelled, looking panicked. Sam frowned and caught him by the arm.

"Dean! Dean, nothing's happening! Look, nothing's happening!" He shouted. Dean froze and looked at Kaz.

She was wet, salt-covered and pissed, but her skin wasn't smoking, the salt hadn't forced her to dissolve into smoke.

"She's not a demon." Sam breathed.

"Of-COURSE-I'm-not-a-DEMON!" Kaz screamed. "I'm a CAR!"

"'CAUSE THAT MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE!" Dean yelled.

Kaz managed to wriggle out of the last of the ropes, and slapped Dean across the face.

"Kaz-" Sam said warningly. She turned and kneed him in the crotch.

"Gah!"

Kaz stood, hanging onto the side of the door, and kicked herself onto the roof.

"Boys! Be quiet and listen!" She yelled, sounding not unlike John. "I'm not possessed. I'm not a Leviathan. I'm a nineteen-sixty-seven Chevy Impala, and at the moment" She dipped her head over to stare at her reflection the rearview mirror. "-My eyes, are _brown_."

Both boys exchanged a look. Maybe it was the way she spoke like their father, but for the first time, they seemed a little uncertain.

"Dean," said Sam, struggling to stay calm. "Are you sure her eyes were black? That it wasn't a trick of the light?"

"Light doesn't make a demon fly out of you." Dean growled, looking up at Kaz. "I know what I saw."

Sam swallowed and clicked his jaw.

"Kaz, did you, I don't know, feel different? Like something came over you?"

"I-don't-know!" She flopped onto her stomach against the roof, the ropes still hanging around her waist.

"I've been human for forty-eight hours. I don't know what feels 'normal' and what doesn't. The last thing I remember is after Dean and I..." She went a little red. "We fell asleep. Then I woke up and you frickin' blinded me with Jesus Juice. That's it."

She gave both of them a long look, half-furious and half-sad.

"Please believe me."

"She's telling the truth."

Cas walked through the boys and climbed onto the hood, reaching for Kaz's hand.

"Cas, I don't know what happened-" She pleaded, looking even more frightened.

"Impala, please calm down." He squeezed her hand and she fell over again, asleep.

"Dude!" Dean said. Cas got off the car and strode towards them.

"I've found what's wrong with the Impala, why she's been granted a human form."

"Yeah?" Sam said. Cas swallowed and looked back at her, breathing gently on the roof of the car.

"She's not a demon, or a Leviathan. She is, against all reason, truly human." He said.

"Yeah, we kinda got that part." Dean said impatiently. "What was possessing her, what's the catch?"

"Nothing's possessing her, at least not for long periods of time." He leaned in, even though Kaz couldn't hear them.

"She's a doorway."

"A doorway to what?" Dean asked testily.

"Not to, for." Cas clasped his hands together uncomfortably.

"She's a doorway for demons."


	7. Bad Shocks

Cas slung the unconscious Kaz over his shoulder, took Sam and Dean's hands, and zapped them into Bobby's house. Then he unceremoniously dropped Kaz onto the threadbare rug.

"Who's there? I got a gun and I'm all too skilled at usin' it." Bobby called from the other room.

"It's just us, Bobby." Dean said quietly, his eyes blank. Bobby appeared in his kitchen door.

"What in the hell is happenin' here?" His eyes fell to Kaz. "Wait, is that..."

"I need a drink." Dean muttered, and pushed past Bobby into the kitchen. Sam nodded and quietly explained all of what had happened while Dean downed half a bottle of scotch over the sink and pretended not to hear.

"We need to keep her from letting anymore demons into the world." Cas said.

"How does that work, exactly?" Sam asked.

"Her soul." Cas said.

"It's always the damn soul." Bobby grumbled, sitting down at his desk. Cas continued.

"The soul of an inanimate object doesn't exist on the same plane as one of a human. It can be at the mercy of heaven, hell and earth all at the same time. And anyone in any of those places can access it."

"So they're...possessing her in hell, then riding the Soul Train up to earth?" Sam said slowly.

"Precisely. That's why she's a human woman. Demons can only possess living things, not objects." Cas continued.

"They needed her...tuh be a her." Bobby said.

There was a _clunk_ from the other room. Dean had set down the bottle and braced himself against the counter.

"So what now?" He said tersely. Cas's eyebrows furrowed together.  
"I don't understand-"

"What do we _do _now Cas?" Dean snapped. "We can't let them keep using her as a doggy door!"

"No, we can't." Cas said slowly.

"Then fix her!"

"I'm try to explain"

"Stop explaining and DO something! Dammit, you're so CLUELESS!" He screamed.

Cas took a step back, looking a little hurt.

"Dean." Sam said warningly.

"I have to go." Cas said abruptly. He disappeared.

Bobby strode over and whacked Dean upside the head.

"If you're done hurting your boyfriend's feelings, I know what to do too."

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. He followed Bobby back into the living room and fell down with his back against the desk.

"What." He said dully.

"We've got to shut off their entrance."

"How."

"Her soul...we've got to destroy it."

Dean felt his stomach plunge and Sam looked horrified.

"Bobby-"

"It's not like I want to." Bobby said.

"But that's nuts, how do you even destroy someone's soul." Dean asked, his voice rising.

"There's a spell." Bobby said. "Real powerful enchantment. She'll have to consent-"

"To us, killing her?"

"Not her, her soul. Sam was still kickin' without his!"

"And it nearly killed him!"

"Her soul...It's..." Sam absent-mindedly wrapped his arms around his stomach, as if remember his own soul's hellish existence. "How could we do that to anything, much less Kaz?"

"If it's kept open a whole lot of people will get possessed and die. Way I see it, it's one soul down in exchange for hundred spared." Bobby said fiercely.

"I'll do it."

Everyone jumped. Kaz had pushed herself onto her elbows and was watching them all from the ground. Dean crouched in front of her, interlocking both their hands.

"How much did you hear?"

"I came to about when you made Castiel cry." She said. Her tone was light but her eyes were very serious. "And I'll do it. We can destroy my soul."

"Kaz-" Dean pleaded. She took hold of his wrists.

"Dean, I _can't_ let demons use me. And Bobby's right. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Bobby shot Sam a look.

"Is that Spock?"

"I kept Star Trek action figures in the ash trays around fifth grade." He mumbled.

"If we...you know." Kaz asked. "Will I not be a human anymore?"

Bobby hesitated.

"Well..."

Kaz squeezed her eyes shut.

"Dammit, Bobby, tell me the truth."

He exhaled. "No. Yer soul is the only thing that made you human in the first place. I'm not even sure of you'll go back to being the Impala." He said.

Kaz took this in. Then she gently detached from Dean's grip and stood.

"What do we need?"

"Kaz!" Dean yelled. She smacked his arm, hard.

"I don't want to hear it!"

Bobby started listing things monotonously, his eyes downcast. Sam bowed his head and Dean looked torn between throwing up and punching something. Kaz seemed unable to handle this mood.

"Hey! Larry, Moe and Curly!" She snapped. "Stop with the water works and get the crap we need together." She stalked towards the front door and turned in the threshold.

"We've got work to do."

_Slam_


	8. Hydroplaning

Preparations were made quickly and silently. Sam managed to coax Castiel back to them, and then promptly sent him all over the world, finding what ingredients were needed for the spell. The charm that would break Kaz's soul into a million pieces, scattering them across the universe until they were dust.

Bobby packed everything into his truck, explaining that for the spell to work, they needed to go back to the stretch of road where Kaz had changed, the road they'd just left. Another day Dean might've complained, but he just slid into the passenger's seat and slammed the door.

"This is the powder of a Tantalou flower, blessed by an Egyptian priest." Cas said, pressing the little plastic bag into Sam's hand as they stood in the driveway. "That's the last of what's needed."

Sam shoved it in his pocket, and they both silently looked over at Dean, slouching in the truck.

"Dean is troubled." Cas observed.

"He'll be..." Sam wanted to say something reassuring, but he wasn't sure how his brother'd come back from this one. Cas clasped his shoulder and nodded.

"Perhaps I shall meet you there."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Wait, you're not coming?"

"I have other things to attend to." He hesitated for a moment. "I don't need to stand about and be insulted."

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Cas-" He started.

"-stop being such a freaking child." both men turned. Kaz was coming down the driveway, her hands in her pockets. Cas nodded in her direction.

"Impala, if we do not meet again-"

"Then stay classy." she cut him off. She leaned over and punched him lightly on the jaw. "Take it easy, Castiel."

Cas looked at her strangely, then vanished before their eyes. Sam turned to Kaz.

"You ready?"

"No." she said. "Are we riding in the back?"

"We don't have to, the front of the truck seats five."

"I want to." Kaz said loudly. "Wind blowing in my hair, sun in my eyes." She paused. "I'm gonna miss that."

Sam felt his stomach plunge. He swallowed and clicked his jaw.

"Kaz, why are you doing this? Why did you agree to dying?"

Kaz opened her mouth to respond, but Bobby honked loudly. Sam sighed and got in the car.

Kaz climbed into the back, sat on top of a duffel bag, and let her hair, wild and black, down. It dipped and twisted through the air as they pulled away from Bobby's house. Dean didn't speak, but once or twice he twisted around and watched her from the front seat, as if trying to soak in as much of the Kaz Show as possible, while it was still in town.

It was night by the time they got to Minnesota. They rented a hotel room at the tiny village next to Nancroft, not wanting to pass through the same town twice.

"But what if, I mean, she...if something tries to...?" Sam let the question hang in the air, pregnant and pungent.

Kaz hesitated, then from her pockets pulled a length of rope.

"You know what to do."

* * *

"Her ankles together tight?" Bobby called.

"Yeah." said Sam. He pulled at the knots one last time, then awkwardly turned away.

Kaz was sitting in a wooden chair against the wall, her arms and legs bound. Dean sullenly shook out a circle of salt around her, than took a handful and threw it on her.

"Ooh, kinky." She laughed, but there was something hollow in it. Dean leaned in, speaking to her for the first time in hours.

"Seriously, what is your game plan here?"

"What?"

"Sammy asked you the same thing earlier, and you didn't answer. Why are you doing this?"

"I'm hurting people." Kaz said fiercely.

"We hurt people too, no one deserves to have their soul destroyed." Dean said. His voice carried a hint of pleading. "Kaz, please. Why would you do this? What about Sam and Cas? What about me?"

"Exactly, _you_." She reached out her tied-up arms as one, cupping his face in her hands. "You put yourself in my position and think." she said softly.

"Is there anything you wouldn't do for your family?"

They locked eyes for a moment. Dean turned away first.

"We'll get started in the morning. Soon as the light's better." Bobby told the boys.

But his words were cut short by a half-moan, half-scream. The three men whirled around to see Kaz struggling against the rope.

Her head whipped up, her eyes were large and yellow.

"Kaz!" Dean picked his gun off the bed behind him and pointed it at her. She convulsed for a moment, then her eyes fluttered back to normal.

"D-Dean." She gasped. "I c-can feel them. They're fighting. Trying to get out."

Her eyes lit up red, and she growled, trying to lunge forward.

"They heard we're gonna close the door, now it's a free-for-all tuh get out." Bobby shouted over the noise.

Kaz gasped for air again as the Crossroads demon vanished from her face.

"_Dean_!" She cried.

Dean ran to take her hand, but Sam held him back. Kaz had starting shaking again, jerking over in the chair. The salt line broke as her head hit the floor, sending the salt on her clothes scattering too. A huge cloud of black smoke shot out of her mouth.

Without thinking, or perhaps thinking as he always had, Dean shot her.

There was a high-pitched wail as the demon dissipated. Kaz's eyes were once again her own, and watering in pain.

"You shot me." She said, clutching her abdomen. Her voice started to slur. "Watcha do that for?"

Sam scooped her into his arms, her hair and legs hanging limply in the air.

"It's OK, It's OK, stay with us Kaz." He muttered, stare at her stomach as blood spread across her tee-shirt.

"Bobby, they are killing her." Dean said, unsuccessfully trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Dean, _you're_ killing her!" shouted Sam, his voice more panicked then he would have liked.

"I know." It wasn't Bobby who answered, but Cas. He appeared behind Sam, and looked at everyone intently. "And there's no use waiting. The demons are only going to get more restless and violent." He looked straight at Dean.

"We must destroy her soul tonight."


	9. Reset Engine Codes

The rusty old truck they'd rented the day before was still parked along the side of the road.

Sam rushed over and laid Kaz down on the hood, as she started to fade in and out of consciousness. Bobby and Cas set to work laying ingredients down on a circle in the road, chanting and lighting matches.

And Dean just stood helplessly in between the two groups, trying not to fall apart.

"If she dies her soul could slip away and out of our control." Cas yelled over the confusion. "They could do anything with it."

"Then we better keep me going, blue eyes." Kaz panted. Sam squeezed her hand and smoothed back her hair as she let out a howl of pain.

"Dean, get the hell over here." Sam growled through gritted teeth. Moving like a robot, Dean did as he said.

"Hey gorgeous." Kaz croaked to him, her eyes watering in pain. She held her palms up to Dean and he pressed his hands against hers.

"Kaz-" He started.

"This isn't your fault, OK? I mean, I'd've rather not been shot..." She faded off as she started to choke, blood coming to her lips. "Don't get me wrong, the sex, the food, talkin' to you-nothing beats it. But..." She start hacking violently and both boys held her by a shoulder. She spoke again, her voice softer and weaker. "But I wasn't supposed to be human. This wasn't ever right."

Dean and Sam exchanged a look of both sheer panic and heartbreaking sadness. Bobby pushed past then and held a small vial in his hands.

"Sweetheart, you're gonna have tuh drink this, to kick-start the spell."

Kaz nodded with what looked like difficulty, her head lolling back and forth. Sam held her up by her neck and she turned towards Dean.

"Promise you'll talk to people about your feelings." She blurted out. Bobby and Sam looked confused, probably thinking the bullet had gotten to her head, but Dean knew what she meant. He determinedly avoided looking in Cas' direction.

"Kaz-"

"Darlin', promise me or I'll kick your ass from the beyond."

Dean's felt hot and cold at the same moment.

"I promise." He whispered. Kaz nodded slowly, looking very dazed. Then she turned back to the vial.

"Then here's to my Winchester boys."

Bobby poured some amber liquid down her throat. She started gagging, falling unconscious.

"Kaz? KAZ!" Dean yelled.

And then it started to get bright.

It looked as though someone had flipped on lamps under Kaz's skin, setting her whole body aglow.

"It's starting." Bobby yelled. "Boys, get her onto the road, into the circle Cas made."

Sam took her legs while Dean held her up around the waist. Kaz's skin seemed to be getting lighter and lighter.

No sooner did they lay Kaz down on the ground then the glow that was building under her skin became a full on shine. Kaz was lifted into standing position, her arms flunh out to her sides, by some unseen force, and then rose off the ground all together. The toes of her boots were hovering a few feet above the road when her eyes flew open, bursting with light.

"Boys?" She called, looking disoriented.

"It's OK Kaz, it's going to be OK." Sam said shakily.

"I'm scared." She was slurring again, though her gunshot wound seemed to have stopped bleeding.

"Don't be, we're right here." Dean said, forcing every cell in his body to stay stoic and calm.

"Sammy, Dean...thank you for taking care of me...all these years..." She seemed to be having trouble breathing now, panting in between words.

"Yeah, well you definitely returned the favor." Sam attempted to chuckle, though his eyes were welling up with tears.

"Always the sweetie." Kaz grinned, half to herself. "I'll even...forgive you...for that frickin' iPod."

Sam laughed, but it came out sounding more like a sob.

Kaz's hair seemed to be blowing around her face, despite there being no wind.

"Dean?" She called again. She seemed unable to see now, the irises of her eyes golden.

"I'm right here." Dean choked out. He reached for her hand. "Kaz, I'm right here."

Kaz was glowing, beautiful white light shining out from her finger tips, the ends of her hair, her eyes. It burned slightly when Dean took her hand, but he held on, pressing his lips to it as tears started to roll down his face.

"I'm so sorry, Baby." He croaked.

"I'm so glad we finally got to talk." She said, her voice quivering. "There's something I've wanted to say to you for a long, long time."

"What?" Dean half-whispered, half-choked. Kaz smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"_Hey_." She whispered, her voice cracking. "Hey baby, it's so good to see you."

The glow overcame her then, and her arms, legs and face burst into light. She let out a yell, a cry of pain. Dean lunged to help her, but Sam and Bobby both grabbed one of his arms and dragged him back.

He watched helplessly as the light became blinding, and overtook everything around them, just as it had on the first night Kaz came to them.

"Dean, cover your eyes!" Cas called. But Dean kept staring, wouldn't tear his gaze away from the light as it burned, large and bright as a supernova.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it faded away.

Sam peeked through his fingers. His brother was staring miserably with bloodshot eyes at the spot where Kaz had stood. It was now empty.

"What...where did..." Sam turned around.

Behind them, black paint shining in the moonlight, was the Impala. Good as new.

"Dean, it worked! It's-" Sam swallowed his enthusiasm at the look on his brother's face.

Dean walked slowly, silently towards the car, and delicately touched the hood. Nothing happened.

"Well...this was good." He said, clearing his throat. "Everything's back where it should be."

Sam bit his lip. "Dean-"

"Don't, Sammy." Dean closed his eyes and looked pained for a brief second. Sam felt his stomach drop, and Cas' eyes were a ménage of pity and concern.

Then Dean swallowed and opened his eyes, his face set and hard.

"It's good. It's fine." He banged the top of the Impala and quickly turned away. He forced a smile and turned to face the others.

"Now if you gentlemen don't mind, I think I'll walk back to the motel."


	10. Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Sensing Dean might need some alone time, Bobby suggested Sam and Cas give him a twenty minute head start before they went back to the rooms. His own work done, he bid them goodnight, hot-wired the old pick-up, and headed back home.

After he left, and after a good deal of hesitation, Cas and Sam got into the Impala and drove back through Nancroft.

Sam couldn't get comfortable the whole time, shifting around, keeping his hands folded across his chest, closing his eyes to keep them dry. Cas drove horribly, weaving in and out of lanes, almost clipping the sides of buildings. Sam couldn't bring himself to care.

When they got back to the motel, Dean was sitting on the grimy porch outside their door, drinking.

"Where'd you get that?" Sam asked, gesturing to the bottle of cheap beer Dean seemed to be clinging to for dear life.

"Gas station." He said shortly. Sam asked a few more, admittedly chick-flick-y questions about how he was feeling, but Dean just ignored him and stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the Impala parked a few feet away.

Sam was worried, but Cas insisted he go to sleep, that he'd watch over Dean.

"This has been a hard experience for you too." he said.

Sam wanted to refuse, but he had to admit he didn't feel great. Every time he thought of Kaz, dark and laughing and running around, his chest started to ache. Besides, he didn't want Cas knocking him out if he argued. He leaned down, squeezed Dean's hand, then hurried inside before his big brother punched him.

Cas stood awkwardly over Dean, his hands in his pockets.

"You're angry." He guessed. Dean sighed and set down his beer, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No Cas, I'm not. I just..." He faded off. "Whatever, it's stupid."

"It's you and her." Cas said. "Long after Sam and your father, Jo and Ellen, Bobby and I are gone." He sat down cross-legged next to Dean.

"A boy and his car off to save the world."

Dean looked torn between wanting to hit Cas or cry. Instead he just smirked bitterly.

"I guess."

Something else was gnawing at him, that seemed to be getting more intense the longer Cas sat with him. He paused, hesitating.

"Uh, Cas?"

"Yes?"

Cas turned to look at him, his gaze so intense Dean felt his stomach drop. But he remembered Kaz's request to talk to people about his feelings, and hell'd freeze over before Dean Winchester stopped respecting the dead.

"Next time you're around, you wanna, I don't know, get dinner or something?" He rushed out, cringing.

Cas raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"I don't eat."

Dean felt his cheeks heat up.

"Well, I mean, you could watch me eat." He flinched. _That sounded really freaking creepy_. "I meant...forget that. We-we could not eat? Go for a walk or...s-something?" He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward and scared and fifteen years old.

"Is...this a flirtation?" Cas asked slowly, his eyebrows knitting together. Dean closed his eyes.

"Don't...don't call it that." He opened one and saw Cas looked hopelessly confused. He sighed.

"Yes. It is. Do you want to?" He forced out slowly.

Cas looked at him, mildly stunned for a moment.

Then he gave a tiny smile.

"That would be nice." He said. Dean let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Alright then." He cleared his throat, trying to bring his voice down to it's regular gruffness. "Cool."

"Yes." Cas stood up and Dean awkwardly followed him, standing face to face.

"OK."

"OK."

Cas turned to disappear. Before he could lose his nerve, Dean grabbed him by the shoulder, leaned over and quickly pecked him on the lips.

It has fast and nervous and neither if them seemed to remember where to put their hands, but damn if it didn't feel _right_. Cas seemed to lean into his touch. He closed his eyes, and it was a moment before he pulled away.

"Goodbye Dean." he said, and for once it didn't sound ominous.

Dean watched him vanish, then fell against the door, a stupid smile tugging at his lips.  
He looked down towards the Impala, sitting silently in the parking lot.

"Shut up." He muttered, waving his beer towards the cars.

* * *

Kissing Cas seemed to motivate Dean to stop drinking heavily, but he still wasn't comfortable in the Impala. When Sam hesitantly scooped the keys out of Dean's jacket pocket and got into the driver's seat early the next morning, Dean didn't stop him. He sat stiffly in the passenger's, his legs and arms barely resting against the leather, as if afraid to touch anything.

They drove in silence for about an hour and a half, heading to a case in Indiana. Sam pulled into a rest stop around eleven and parked.

"I'm going to get some food, you want anything?" He spoke softly, like one might talk to a violent, mentally ill person.

"Pie, beer, the usual." Dean mumbled, not meeting Sam's eye. Sam sighed and turned to face him.

"Dean, are you sure you don't wanna talk about this?"

"I'm _fine_. Get out of here Sasquatch."

Sam rolled his eyes and stepped out of the car.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Sam slammed the door shut and walked into the little convenience store next to the gas pumps.

Dean waited until he saw the door close behind Sam to turn and stare at the steering wheel.

"Kaz?" He said loudly. "Are you there? Can you here me?"

He waited, expectantly, for a moment. Then he kept talking, if only to fill the silence.

"I know going all Chop-Suey on a soul sends the pieces all over the universe. I just thought...maybe some of it stayed at Ground Zero, y'know? A little piece went back where it belonged." He paused, as if waiting for validation of this statement.

Nothing happened.

He actually felt his face fall. He crossed his arms and kicked the side of the door.

"Never mind. Stupid."

The engine revved.

Dean's head whipped up, looking to see if Sam was starting the car, but there was no one there.

"K-Kaz?" He said, not daring to believe it.

The engine revved again in reply.

Dean grinned so wide it almost spilt his face.

"Yes!" He slapped the dashboard in triumph. "That's my girl!"

Sam came out of the store two minutes later to find Dean sitting behind the wheel.

"C'mon, pick up the pace Sammy!" He called out the window.

"What's this? What are you doing?" Sam asked slowly, though his heart lifted almost subconsciously.

Dean shrugged, his face looking lighter than it had in a long time.

"What does it look like, I'm driving."

"Why?"

"Because." Dean patted the steering wheel. "It's my car."

He grabbed the keys and turned it to drive, the engine growling again.

"She's my baby."


End file.
